Ferrofluids

Who would think that a liquid could project out in spikes & spires, and hold their shape that way?

The ferrofluid is a natural oil filled with nanoparticles of magnetic metal. The spikes are nano-particles riding out on the magnetic field, dragging the oil with them.

It’s amazing to watch, and makes you wonder how many other scientific concepts are out there waiting in the cosmos to be discovered. What don’t we know about now that we will take for granted in a hundred years? They say that ferrofluid could be used to propel miniature satellites into space someday.

Looks kinda like a thistle, doesn’t it?

“But it’s just spikes, what can we do with those?”

It’s just spikes now. But what about when we learn to control the movement of the nanoparticles? Given some 22nd-century technology I don’t think it would be too difficult. Soon we’ll be making sculptures out of ferrofluid, kind of like Arthur did in the Journeyman Project 2. Can you imagine? Living sculptures. Combined with artificial intelligence, holographic overlay and a nano texturing net, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between…